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Newspaper Page Text

1
THE DAILY SHORT STORY.
His Bar Examination.
The state bar examination was
in progress. The watchful eyes
of the members of the examining
committee were upon each candi
date. -The applicants were am
bitious in the best sense. Main
would be heard from in the years
to come.
John Harding, esq., was one of
the examiners., Harding was a
broad man. One candidate before
him enlisted his sympathy. This
man was Victor Hope. There
was- a story back of the young
man. Hope was a bank teller,
and had maintained a widowed
mother while pursuing his stu
ies. He had studied in an even
ing school.
Another fact was also known
to the examiner. Hope was in
love with an attractive and de
serving stenographer who work
ed in a busy law office. While
some of Hope's friends were
somewhat skeptical, Myrtle Wil
low had never lost faith in him.
The world did not understand.
The examiner did. A hero sat
before him.
The Hon. John Harding ob
served the youth a slave to am
bition. Was it a good thing for
a young man to be ambitious?
Still from such material as this
the world had ever derived its
greatest benefits.
The examiner stepped to the
window. The squirrels were
surrounded the capitol, building.
The autumn leaves were already
falling. He remembered his ex
perience in the years gone by.
Time was a precious asset. He,,
again pictured the group of
bays he had known: the eager,
scanning of questions; the wait
ing for the posted bulletin in the
hotel, which would seal their
fate. Some of them were dead.
The court records alone bore tes
timony to their zeal. The ex
aminer realized the happiness
which would pome to the girl who
had linked her future to the
young man before him. Here was
tragedy. Three years of patient
study and anxiety, a counting of
dimes then failure? No, a thou
sand times no. He might save,,
him and still be true to his trust.
The Hon. John Harding saun-.
tered down the aisle. Victor'
Hope sat with his legs twisted
about his chair. The tension of
mind and body were apparent.
Moisture stood on the brow of
the courageous student. The ex
aminer inspected his paper. Ques
tion 13 was unanswered. Ten
minutes alone remained.
"And why don't you attempt
to answer question 13?" asked
Harding.
The eyes of the troubled stu
dent met his. "Because','' was
the reply. "I don't know whethers
to say yes or no."
The examiner paced up and
down the aisle. It was a critical
moment. Might there not bef
some suggestion which could be
brought to bear without breach
of trust on his part ? He thought
of the widow and the girl. How
eagerly they would scan the list
of those who passed in the even
ing papers. His brow contract-